Observers hail Zec, denounce violence

Zvamaida Murwira,Harare BureauThe Joint International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute has hailed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for expeditiously furnishing stakeholders with analysable and searchable electronic data on election results.

In a statement, the mission, which was co-headed by former Liberian President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, said the provision of the data showed transparency in that political parties, observers and other stakeholders would now be able to verify the data with what was gathered by other players such as agents and observers.

“The joint International Republican Institute (IRI)/National Democratic Institute (NDI) Zimbabwe International Election Observer Mission (ZIEOM) acknowledges that the Zimbabwe Election Commission announced results of the presidential election as an aggregate of the provincial votes in the early morning of August 3,” said the Mission.

“Within 24 hours, the Zec shared polling station level results data in a CD-ROM format in accordance with the recommendations included in the August 2 joint communique issued by the heads of international observer missions in Zimbabwe.

“The mission hopes that the candidates and Zimbabwean observers received the same information.

“Based on this data, the political contestants and non-partisan observer groups are now in a position to compare the results released by the Zec with the results collected by their party agents and domestic monitors on election night.

“They may also conduct other verification checks.”

The Mission also noted that results collated by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, which it described as respected, almost tallied with those of Zec.

“The Mission also notes that the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (ZESN), a respected Zimbabwean domestic monitoring group, released its statistical-based assessment of the results and found them to be consistent with the results released by the ZEC,” it said.

IRI/NDI said it remained seized with the post election processes where some aggrieved political parties had indicated that they would approach the courts to challenge the results as they seek to exercise their rights provided for in terms of the Zimbabwean law.

“Accordingly, ZIEOM will continue to monitor this phase of the electoral process with reference to Zimbabwe’s laws and procedures and to international standards for due process of law,” said the Mission.

The Mission denounced violence that was orchestrated by the MDC Alliance leaving a trail of destruction at Zanu-PF offices and in central Harare and claimed the lives of six people.

President Mnangagwa won the presidential election by 50,8 percent votes as compared to his closest rival Mr Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance who managed 44,3 percent.

President Mnangagwa’s inauguration has now been tentatively set for Sunday.